Alternative opening carton



April 13, 1954 A. I. ROSHKIND ET AL ALTERNATIVE OPENING CARTON Filed Nov. 2, 1950 Paul .19. Sis chanson Zrz'c JAczu and ffiomas Wfsfer.

Patented Apr. 13, 1954 2,675,165 ALTERNATIVE OPENING CARTON Allan I. Roshkind, Glenview,

and Eric J. Rau and Thomas W.

Evanston,

Paul A. Stephenson,

Foster, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Container Corporation of America,

ration of Delaware Chicago, 111., a corpo- Application November 2, 1950, Serial No. 193,674

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to an alternatively openable paperboard carton which may be opened and reclosed at either of two adjacent sides or edges, and more particularly to such a carton having tuck flaps at two adjacent sides or edges each secured by a readily separable con nection adjacent its free edge, so that the carton may initially be opened at either of such adjacent edges by breaking of the connection of one of the flaps, and thereafter be reclosed and reopened by means of the freed tuck flap.

The particular embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is intended primarily for packaging sheets or similar articles in relatively small quantities, and therefore i of relatively small breadth or thickness compared to its length and. width. The carton comprises a pair of main walls, distinguished as front and rear, connected along two adjacent edges by two edge walls. On the other two edges of the front wall are hinged two other edge walls, and these walls carry tuck flaps which in closed condition of the carton overlap the inner face of the rear wall. The

tuck flaps are spot glued to the rear wall, independently of each other, so that either may easily be freed from the rear wall to open the carton without detaching the other. The carton thus may be opened along either of two adjacent edges, whichever will be more convenient in the use of the carton. After a portion of the contents has been removed, the tuck flap is reinserted to reclose the carton, and the carton may then be stored in a drawer, on a shelf, or in some other manner, with the reclosed edge exposed so as to be conveniently accessible for reopening when more of-the contents are to be removed. The carton obviously, is opened along that edge wh ch will-be most convenient for reopening in the position in which the package is kept when the contents are not desired.

It will be obvious that instead of the light spot gluing of the tuck flaps, other readily separable "edges, so that they cannot be securely stacked because the bulged centers prevent the necessary fiatness. Removal of sheets from an envelope is difficult because of the tightly packed "condition. In the case of some articles, the pressure on the edges causes undesirable effects, as for example the expressing or irregular distribution of gelatinous material in the case of mimeograph stencil sheets. Identification of the contents requires access to the face of the envelope, which may necessitate expenditure of much time and effort. The carton of this invention, having uniform thickness throughout, may readily be stacked. The sheets are not so compressed as to cause running of the sheet'material, as in the case of stencil sheets mentioned, or to interfere with easy withdrawal of a sheet. The edge walls provide convenient space for printing of content identification where it may be seen without disturbing the carton.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a carton which may readily be opened at either of two adjacent edges thereof. Another object is the provision of a carton closed at two adjacent edges by tuck flaps so secured as to be readily releasable for opening and reclosing the carton at either of said edges. A further object is the provision of a carton with two adjacent edges closed by tuck flaps having readily separable connections to a carton wall independently of each other, so that either of said carton edges may be opened by releasing one of the flaps without disturbing the other flap. It is an additional object of the invention to provide a blank from which a carton openable at either of two adjacent edges may be formed.

Other and further objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a carton according to this invention in closed condition, with portions broken away to show the construction more clearly;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the cartonopened at one edge;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the carton opened at another edge; and

Fig. 4 is a plan of the blank for the carton.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown as illustrative of the invention a carton It formed from the blank I l of Fig. 4. The panels of the blank and the corresponding parts of the carton are designated by the sam reference numerals. The blank ll comprises a plurality of panels, including a rectangular and in this case oblong front wall panel I2. Side or edge walls l3 and I4 are hinged on the longer edges of the front wall, and end or edge walls I 5 and i6 onthe shorter edges. A glue flap I1 is hinged on the edge wall l5, and tuck flaps I8 and I9 are hinged respectively on the edge walls I4 and It. A rear wall panel 20 is hingedly connected to the edge wall 13 along the edge thereof opposite that hinged to the front wall panel 12. The rear wall panel is generally similar to the front wall panel, being of the same length but somewhat narrower. The long edge of the rear wall panel 20 opposite that connected to the wall l3 curves inwardly at its central portion in an indentation 2|, and the short edge adjacent the edge wall It and tuck flap [8 has a similar edge indentation 22.

The carton l may be formed from the blank in any convenient manner. One way is by wrapping the carton about the contents, in effect. This is done by placing on the inner face of the front wall [2 the sheets or other articles to be contained in the carton, and folding the side and end or edge walls l3, hi, I5 and i6 upwardly, and the glue ilap ll and tuck flaps i8 and 1'9 inwardly. Suitable adhesive is applied to the flaps, and the rear wall is folded over the contents and flaps. Upon setting of the adhesive, the flaps and rear wall are thus secured together, and the sheets or other contents are. enclosed in the carton l0. Preferably the tuck flap is over laps the ends of the glue flap H and the other tuck fiap l9. The adhesive is so applied as to provide a substantially permanent connection between the glue flap l1 and the rear wall, covering a major portion of the glue flap as indicated at 24 but not to provide adhesion between the flaps I1 and 18. The adhesive is applied to the tuck flaps I8 and i9, however, only in spaced spots 25, more or less as indicated in Fig. 1, so that a readily breakable connection is formed between each tuck flap and the rear wall. Both methods of gluing are well known in the art, and need not be detailed herein. It may be pointed out, however, that the glue spots 25 are spaced somewhat inwardly from the edges of the rear wall. or course, the adhesive might be applied to the inner face of the rear wall 26 at appropriate portions thereof, instead of to the flaps. It should also be clear that the carton may be formed empty'with one edge open, the open edge being closed after insertion of the contents.

Again, the carton It may be formed as a. tube, a

with the tuck flap i8 secured to the rear wall 20, and the glue flap and the other tuck flap l9 left open, so that the carton may be stored or shipped in collapsed condition, then set up into open tubular form, filled, and the flapsl-l and I9 then inserted and secured to the rear wall. Still other ways of forming the blank into the carton may be employed, if desired.

'When access to the contents is desired, the carton It may be opened at either of the edges closed by the side and end walls l4 and i6, respectively, and their respective tuck flaps l8 and H), by inserting the fingers under the rear wall 20 at the edge indentation 2| or 22 and forcing the edge of the'rear wall away from the tuck flap I8 or H), as the case may be, thus breaking the spot glued connection and permitting the tuck flap to be withdrawn to give access to the contents. After a desired potrion of the contents has been removed, the tuck flap is reinserted so as to reclose the carton. The carton may then be reopened and reclosed whenever til provided by the front either may be released without disturbing the securement of the other. For the same reason, it is preferable that the tuck flaps be not secured to each other, and of course not to the glue fiap ll.

The side or face of 'the'carton opposite that wall i2 is formed by the rear wall 20 and the tuck flap IS, the edge of the rear wall being spaced inwardly from the adjacent side or edge of the carton. Since the tuck flap i8 is hinged along the carton edge, its

withdrawal from and insertion into the carton are rendered easier, and less bending of the flap is required, by this arrangement, than if the rear wall extended the full width of the carton. The tuck flap I9 and the edge portion of the rear wall. attached thereto may be similarly arranged, if desired. In any event, the tuck flaps f8 and I9 are sufficiently flexible to bend readily during insertion or withdrawal without imposition of undue stress or strain on the flaps and. adjacent carton parts. If desired, the tuck flaps may'initially be spot glued in overlapped relation to the outer face of the rear wall, one or the other being released by pulling it away from the wall. Thereafter the flap may be inserted'within and withdrawnfrom the carton in the usual way. a

If the carton after being openedis to be kept in a position wherein one of its longer edges will be exposed, the tuck flap i8 is the one which is freed from the rear Wall 20, while if a shorter edge of the carton will be exposedz, the tuck flap I9 is released. The carton l9 may'then be placed in the desired position with the opened edge as the exposed or accessible en thereof, and the tuck flapmay be opened and closed when a portion of the contents is to be removed, without requiring movement or handling of the carton itself. The storageposition of the carton may thus be determined by the wishes or con; venience of the user, and does not depnd upon what particular edge of a conventional carton may be openable. The carton l0 does not-neefd to be withdrawn from its place in a drawer, cabinet, or the like in order to permit removal of contents therefrom, once it has been opened, or to ascertain what its contents are. Identificag tionof the contents may be printed or otherwise appliedto one or more of the edge walls as well as to'the front or rear wall or both.

It will be seen that, if desired, one of the edge walls M-or l6 might be hinged on the rear wall 20 with the corresponding tuck flap H! or 1,9 adhering to the front wall 12', the dimensions and shapes of the walls and flaps being appropriately modified as may be required. Instead of thee-pot gluing of the tuck flaps to'the rear wall, other readily separable connections may be provided. For example, easy-opening glue strips, well known in the art, may be used to secure the flaps. .As another example, each tuck flap may have an. edge portion defined by a line of weakness securely glued to the rear wall inwardly of the edge thereof, the tuck flap being freed from the rear wall by severance along the line of weakness. Other connections to accomplish the same purpose may be adopted.

Although the carton in the embodiment disclosed is intended for packaging a relatively small quantity of sheets or the like, and is therefore of relatively slight thickness, the invention isnot limited to cartons for any specific type of articles or of any particular proportions. .It is, -;,of course. contemplated that the invention may be embodied in cartons varying widely in constructional features and details, and further that the particular elements of the carton providing for its ready opening along either of two adjacent sides or edges may be modified and varied from the disclosed construction. Thus, for example, more than one tuck flap may be provided on an edge wall if that is desired or facilitates opening and closing. Other possible changes and modifications have been suggested hereinabove, and still others will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and it is therefore not intended that the invention be limited otherwise than required by the appended claims when due consideration is given to the spirit as well as the literal wording thereof.

We claim:

1. A carton for packaging, storing and intermittent opening and closing to dispense a plurality of sheets of material such as stencil sheets, comprising, a single piece of paperboard, out, scored, folded and secured to provide a parallelo- Diped self-sustaining container having six rectilinear walls including front and back wall panels, two opposite side walls, and two opposite end walls, each of said end walls extending from side wall to side wall and being integral with said front panel along one of that pair of its edges which extend between said side walls, one of said end walls having its other and parallel-extending edge provided with an integral flap relatively permanently secured to the back panel, the other of said end walls having a. tuck flap releasably attached to said back panel, each of said side walls extending from end wall to end wall, one of said side walls being integral with each of the front and back panels, the other of said side walls being integral with the front wall along its edge extending between said end walls and having a tuck flap integral with its opposite edge, said side wall tuck flap being releasably attached at its end portions only to the said back panel and being unsecured to such panel between said end portions, said side wall tuck flap having lapping but unsecured relationship with each of said end wall flaps.

2. A carton adapted for a plurality of successive openings and closings and formed from a single piece of paperboard, cut, scored, folded and secured to provide a parallelepiped container having six rectilinear walls including front and back wall panels, two opposite side walls, and two opposite end walls, for packaging, storing and dispensing a plurality of flat sheets of material, each of said end walls extending from side wall to side wall and being integral with the front panel along one of its pair of edges extending between said side walls, a flap integral with the other of said pair of edges of each end wall and secured to the back panel, each of said side walls extending from end wall to end wall, one of said side walls being integral with each of the front and back panels, the other of said side walls being integral with the front wall along its edge extending between said end walls and having a tuck flap integral with its opposite edge, said side wall tuck flap being releasably attached at places adjacent to the end walls to the inside face 01' the back panel and being unattached to the back panel over its length between said places, said side wall tuck flap having overlapping but unsecured relationship with each of said end wall flaps and lying between said end wall flaps and the back panel.

3. A carton adapted for a plurality of successive openings and closings and formed from a single piece of paperboard, cut, scored, folded and secured to provide a parallelopiped container having six rectilinear walls including front and back wall panels, two opposite side walls, and two opposite end walls, for the reception and inclosure of a plurality of fiat sheets of material, each of said end walls extending from side wall to side wall and being integral with the front panel along one edge extending between said side walls, one of said end walls having its opposite edge provided with an integral flap relatively permanently secured to the back panel, the other of said end walls having its opposite edge provided with a tuck flap releasably attached at one end portion to the inside face of the back panel and being unattached thereto along a portion intermediate of its ends, each of said side walls extending from end wall to end wall, one of said side walls being integral with each of the front and back panels, the other of said side walls being integral with the front wall along its edge extending between said end walls and having a tuck flap integral with its opposite edge, said side Wall tuck flap being releasably attached at one end portion to the inside face of the back panel and being unattached thereto along a portion intermediate of its ends, said side wall tuck flap having overlapping but unsecured relationship with each of said end wall flaps and lying between said end wall flaps and the back panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,690,883 Ziegler Nov. 6, 1928 1,977,779 Southworth Oct. 23, 1934 2,055,716 Berkowitz Sept. 29, 1936 2,527,685 Roush Oct. 31, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 24,595 Great Britain 1893 

